Following the appointment of senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla as Director General of Maharashtra Police, the Mahayuti government has named senior IAS officer Sujata Saunik as the Chief Secretary, emphasizing their commitment to placing women in top positions.
Sujata Saunik, a 1987 batch officer, previously served as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department. She started her career as Assistant Commissioner of the Aurangabad corporation and became the full-time Commissioner in 1989.
During her tenure, Saunik gained recognition for resolving communal violence in Aurangabad, now Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. She later served as Deputy Collector in Jalana district and held various key roles within the Maharashtra government. Notably, her husband, Manoj Saunik, also served as the state’s Chief Secretary, making them the first couple to hold this position.
Saunik has international experience as a Municipal Administrator and Civil Affairs Officer for the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and as an Election Monitor for Cambodia. With over three decades of experience in public policy and governance across healthcare, finance, education, disaster management, and peacekeeping, her appointment aligns with the Mahayuti government’s mission to empower women, as seen in the recent budget with several schemes for women.
Earlier this year, Rashmi Shukla, a senior IPS officer from the 1988 batch, was appointed as the DGP of Maharashtra State Police. Shukla is the first woman to hold this position and is known for her strong stance against organized crime and proactive public safety measures, especially for women and children. Prior to this, she was the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal on deputation.
Her career has not been without controversy; she was investigated for allegedly tapping the phones of political leaders during the Shiv Sena-BJP rule from 2014-2019 under the Maha Vikas Aaghadi regime.
With these appointments, Maharashtra now has two women in top leadership roles, showcasing a strong example of gender equality and women’s empowerment.